What has come to be known as the first
crossword puzzle was created by
Arthur Wynne and published in the
New York World on
December 21, 1913.
This puzzle would have been considered nothing more than a hollow diamond to enthusiasts of the form, a predecessor of the crossword which consists of interlocking words in a simple geometric shape.
However, this puzzle led to others in the World which quickly began to resemble the modern crossword puzzle. The original puzzle was called a Word-cross, but the name was soon changed to cross-word, and eventually the hyphen was dropped. It also used a different numbering scheme than is used today, and an arrangement of clues similar to that of a form, but those also quickly changed to those of the modern crossword.
Here is the world's first crossword puzzle.
The original was printed without black squares around
the outside (only in the middle) but the presentation on Everything looks better with the outside blacked in. The word FUN was already filled in as printed.
############1 ############
############ ############
##########F U N ##########
########## ##########
########2 3########
######## ########
######4 5######
###### 32 ######
####6 ## 9####
#### 7##8 ####
##10 ###### 13##
## 11######12 ##
14 15##########16 17
##########
## 19######20 ##
##18 ###### 21##
#### 23##24 ####
####22 ## 25####
###### 33 ######
######26 27######
######## ########
########28 29########
########## ##########
##########30 31##########
############ ############
############34############
Clues (Original eccentric order. Across first, all the way down the left side, then the ones on the right of the center hole, then down clues, left to right, top to bottom in columns with two words.)
2-3. What bargain hunters enjoy.
4-5. A written acknowledgment.
6-7. Such and nothing more.
10-11. A bird.
14-15. Opposed to less.
18-19. What this puzzle is.
22-23. An animal of prey.
26-27. The close of a day.
28-29. To elude.
30-31. The plural of is.
8-9. To cultivate.
12-13. A bar of wood or iron.
16-17. What artists learn to do.
20-21. Fastened.
24-25. Found on the seashore.
10-18. The fibre of the gomuti palm.
6-22. What we all should be.
4-26. A day dream.
2-11. A talon.
19-28. A pigeon.
F-7. Part of your head.
23-30. A river in Russia.
1-32. To govern.
33-34. An aromatic plant.
N-8. A fist.
24-31. To agree with.
3-12. Part of a ship.
20-29. One.
5-27. Exchanging.
9-25. To sink in mud.
13-21. A boy.
Answer to the first crossword puzzle